Title: co-owner of The Chelsea Tampa
Hometown: Sarasota
On the job: I have been working behind the chair for about 10 years. Making sure my clientele are happy and well taken care of has always been my top priority. As a salon owner I have many new responsibilities, one of which is creating a positive environment for both employees and guests. My business partner and I do our best to make sure our stylists’ needs are met, allowing them to perform their jobs without stress and provide an optimal guest experience.
Giving back: I’m very involved with the Tampa Museum of Art. I have recently joined a committee for one of the museum’s new initiatives called Next Gen. Its mission is to inspire and educate the emerging generations of the Tampa Bay community by creating opportunities for engagement with art and culture. My husband, Kenny, and I are also annual sponsors of various museum events.
When I’m not working, you can find me: In my free time you can usually find me with my husband and our close friends at home or a restaurant. I also travel quite frequently. When I’m away I enjoy food, museums, shopping and the theater.
When I was a child, I wanted to be: I found a yearbook from kindergarten where the teacher asked this question. My answer was an ice cream man. I would say a more accurate answer would be that I have always been very creative; I loved to draw, do my sister’s hair, pick out my clothes and hers. I wanted to make things more beautiful in whatever way that may be. In a way, I suppose I fell into the perfect profession.
My secret talent or skill is: If I told you it wouldn’t be much of a secret.
My dream vacation is: I have been fortunate to have done some amazing traveling. One place that I would like to go some day is Egypt. I love ancient history and have always found the country to be fascinating.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is, “There is no growth in comfort.” I will never forget the first time I heard that. I can’t remember the speaker’s name.
My favorite thing about Tampa is: One thing I love about Tampa is watching its evolution. I used to feel like Tampa was so spread out, now I feel like every area is starting to connect through all the development. It makes Tampa an exciting place to be. I love being here to see it and contribute how I can.
My motto or philosophy that I live by is, “You’ve got to try it. You’ve only got one trip.” — Iris Apfel
My hero or inspiration is: I get constant inspiration from people and experiences every day. My clients, friends, family, places I travel, art, architecture, even a stranger can provide inspiration. I get something from all of it.
My pump-up song is “Juice” by Chromeo. Anything by them is a good vibe.
My most ambitious goal is that one day I would love to be able to contribute some type of public art to Tampa. Whether it’s in a park or in a museum, I like seeing art around our city.
The greatest adversity I’ve faced is: We can all relate to the challenges of 2020. My whole perspective shifted during that time and continues to remain different. Everything we have the privilege to do and the people we see and interact with are all so much more important. I didn’t expect to lose the option to do simple things or lose people that I thought I had more time with. It was life-changing.
